Fence.



PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

G. L. RIGKSQ FENCE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.s, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

WHA/Biggs;

Patented July 5, lao-l.

V.PATENT OFFICE.

p GEORGE L. HICKS, OF TULIA, ',IIEXAS.

FENCE.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,378, dated July' 5,1904.

Application filed October 3, 1903. Serial No. 175,668. (No Inodel i Toall whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. Ricks, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tulia, in the county of Swisher and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful improvements in Fences, of which the followingis a specification. 4

My invention relates to fences, more particularly to the posts and staysused in the vconstruction thereof; and its primary object is to providenew and useful fence posts and stays which are cheap, durable, andefficient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a corner-post with meansto clamp the wires of a fence in taut position to prevent theirslacking.

Still further objects of the invention will appear as the nature of thesame is more fully understood from the following description andaccompanying' drawings, which disclose the preferred form of myinvention.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangementof parts hereinafter fully described, claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in whichl Figure 1 is a perspective view of afence constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of oneof the intermediate posts of the fence. Fig. l is a verticallongitudinal sectional View of one of the cornerposts. Fig. 5 is asimilar view of one of the stays. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view ofa fragmentary portion of one of the cornerposts, the same. illustrating'the means for clamping the horizontal wires in their taut position.

Referring' to the drawings by referencenumerals, 1 designates afencepost preferably U-shaped in cross-section and slightly taperedtoward its upper end. The post has one of its lianges, 2, provided withL-shaped slots 3, while its other flange, 2, is provided with inverted-L-shaped slots 4c. These slots are arranged on the anges 2 andQufinstaggered relation to dispose the entrances to the slots L atpoints below the entrances to the slots 3 to prevent the wires frombecoming accidentally disengaged from the slots in a manner that isobvious. The flanges 2 and 2 have their lower ends provided withdepending nibs 5, adapted to be passed through slots 6 in a base-plate7. After the nibs 5 have passed through said slots they are bent toengage the under surface of the base-plate that the same may be clampedbetween the lower ends of the flanges and themselves, whereby it isfirmly secured in applied position.

The post above described is especially adapted for use as anintermediate post, while the corner-post, which is ofa similarconstruction, is provided with means for holding the longitudinal wiresof a fence taut. consists of invertcd-Lshaped brackets 8, secured oneabove the other on the connectingiiange 9 of the post and in the cornersthereof to dispose their horizontal portions in alinejment with thelower and upper extremities of the slots 3 and 4, respectively.Pivotally secured upon flange 9 above the horizontal por tions of thebrackets 8 are levers l0, having' cam-shaped heads 11, adapted to engagethe horizontal wires of a fence and clamp them against the horizontalportions of the brackets 8. The under faces of the cani-heads areprovided with corrugation-s adapted to engage the horizontal wires whenthe levers 10 are swung to prevent the wires `from slipping between thebrackets and cams. It is apparent when the cam-heads are caused toengage the horizontal wires of a fence that said wires are securely heldin taut position, as from the construction of the camheads anylongitudinal reverse strain on the horizontal wires will cause saidheads to secure and more firmly clamp the wires against the brackets 8.

The corner-posts are provided with staywires l2, each having one of itsends secured to the post, While its opposite end is secured to an anchor13,1irmly driven into the ground. These stays are provided for thepurpose of preventing' the-posts from becoming loose in their appliedpositions. The stays 14; are U- shaped in cross-section, and each has aiiange 15 thereof provided with L'shaped slots 16 and its flange 17provided with inverted-L- shaped slots 18. The lower walls of thevertical portions of the slots 16 are situated at points above the upperwalls of' the vertical This means- IOO portions of the slots 17 in order'that when the stays are secured upon the horizontal wires of the fencethe wires are caused to assume a crimped position, as disclosed in Fig.2 ofthe drawings, to effectively retain the stays in their appliedposition.

The application of the horizontal wires of a fence to the posts l may bedescribed in the following manner: The wires are first inserted in thehorizontal portions of the slots Band then into the vertical portionsthereof, after which they are insertedinto the horizontal portions ofthe slots 4, after which they are brought into the vertical portionsthereof, which crimped condition will prevent the wires from becomingaccidentally disengaged from the slots and also assist in holding thewires taut. The stays 16 are applied to the horizontal wires in asimilar manner, and the crimping ot' the wires thereby will retain themin applied position thereon. After the wires are stretched the leversl() may be swung-to clamp the wires against the horizontal portions ofthe brackets 8 to securely retain them in their taut positions.

Having thus described the invention, what to be received by said slots,brackets secured to the connecting-flange of the post, said bracketsbeing arranged in series and positioned to dispose one series inalinement with the upper extremities of the vertical portions 35 of theslots in one flange and the other series in alinement with the lowerextremities of the vertical portions of the slots in the other flange,and cams pivotally secured above the brackets.

2. Ina fence, the combination of a U-shaped fence-post having L-shapedslots arranged in its flanges in staggered relation, wires adapted to bereceived by said slots, L-shaped brackets secured to theconnecting-flange of the post, 45 said brackets being arranged in seriesand poe sitioned to dispose the horizontal members of the brackets ofone series in alinement with the upper extremities ot' the verticalportions ot' the slots in one flange and the horizontal 50 members oftheother series in alinement with the lower extremities of the verticalportions of the slots in the other fla-nge, and cams pivotally securedabove said brackets.

In testimony whereofI aix my signature in 5 5 presence of two witnesses.

GEO. L. HICKS.

Witnesses:

J. A. HUTcHINsoN, E. D. SMITH.

